Psalm 40

1I waited patiently for Yahweh. He turned to me, and heard my cry. 2He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand. 3He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Yahweh. 4Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his trust, and doesn’t respect the proud, nor such as turn away to lies. 5Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward us. They can’t be declared back to you. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be counted. 6Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire. You have opened my ears. You have not required burnt offering and sin offering. 7Then I said, “Behold, I have come. It is written about me in the book in the scroll. 8I delight to do your will, my God. Yes, your law is within my heart.” 9I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you know. 10I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart. I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly. 11Don’t withhold your tender mercies from me, Yahweh. Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me. 12For innumerable evils have surrounded me. My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head. My heart has failed me. 13Be pleased, Yahweh, to deliver me. Hurry to help me, Yahweh. 14Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt. 15Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, “Aha! Aha!” 16Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say continually, “Let Yahweh be exalted!” 17But I am poor and needy. May the Lord think about me. You are my help and my deliverer. Don’t delay, my God.

It should seem David penned this psalm upon occasion of his deliverance, by the power and goodness of God, from some great and pressing trouble, by which he was in danger of being overwhelmed; probably it was some trouble of mind arising from a sense of sin and of God's displeasure against him for it; whatever it was, the same Spirit that indited his praises for that deliverance was in him, at the same time, a Spirit of prophecy, testifying of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow; or, ere he was aware, he was led to speak of his undertaking, and the discharge of his undertaking, in words that must be applied to Christ only; and therefore how far the praises that here go before that illustrious prophecy, and the prayers that follow, may safely and profitably be applied to him it will be worth while to consider. In this psalm, I. David records God's favour to him in delivering him out of his deep distress, with thankfulness to his praise (Psa 40:1-5). II. Thence he takes occasion to speak of the work of our redemption by Christ (Psa 40:6-10). III. That gives him encouragement to pray to God for mercy and grace both for himself and for his friends (Psa 40:11-17). If, in singing this psalm, we mix faith with the prophecy of Christ, and join in sincerity with the praises and prayers here offered up, we make melody wit our hearts to the Lord.

To the chief musician. A psalm of David.

Cross-references: Ps 40:1 · Ps 40:6 · Ps 40:11

Introduction